How to hold back the years

Last updated at 14:51 09 October 2007

There is no escaping the ageing process - whatever your plastic surgeon promises. But while most of us experience a steady decline, there are times when we will be particularly vulnerable to bodily changes and, as a result, ill health.

Here, ANGELA EPSTEIN outlines the key ages for these changes and explains how to limit their effect...

AGE: 8

A woman's ability to have children is decided by this age, according to scientists at Durham University. The environment she is raised in and her lifestyle - including diet - play a major part in determining fertility.

ACTION: Girls whose bodies are under physical strain and who have poor diet and health have lower levels of the hormone progesterone, making it less likely they will be able to conceive as adults, says consultant obstetrician Peter Bowen Simpkin of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Young girls should avoid strenuous physical exercise and eat a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

AGE: 10 years, 3 months

The average age at which girls now start puberty is almost two years earlier than their grandmothers. A report by Dr Aric Sigman of the British Psychological Society says the early onset of puberty could be caused by factors including obesity and lack of exercise.

ACTION: Getting enough calcium is vital, as about 40per cent of lifetime bone mass is produced during a growth spurt that accompanies the onset of puberty.

Good sources include milk, yoghurt and cheese.

AGE: 17

Most likely age for wisdom teeth to start emerging through the gums. Some people never develop wisdom teeth, while others have up to four.

ACTION: Use a mouthwash of warm water mixed with a teaspoonful of salt to reduce gum soreness and inflammation, says Gordon Watkins, health and safety adviser to the British Dental Association. Paracetamol or aspirin can also be useful in the short term, but consult your dentist if the pain continues.

AGE: 25

By age 25, the amount of bone in the skeleton has reached its maximum - known as the peak bone mass. Peak bone mass varies widely but is generally higher in men than in women.

ACTION: Ensure there is enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet, as these are important for bone health.

The recommended daily calcium intake for adults is 700mg. You can get 700 to 1,000mg of calcium most easily by having a pint of milk a day, plus 60g (2oz) hard cheese such as Cheddar or Edam, or one pot of yoghurt (125g), or 60g of sardines.

Most people obtain enough vitamin D from the sun. If you don't expose your skin to sunlight very often, then take a good dietary supply of vitamin D. Women and men over the age of 65 years need 10 mcg.

AGE: 28

The average age men start to lose their hair - a condition known as male-pattern baldness. Hair is made in hair follicles, which are like tiny pouches just under the skin's surface.

With male-pattern baldness, changes in testosterone levels cause the hair follicles to shrink.

ACTION: Include plenty of protein in your diet, particularly at breakfast time. Good sources include eggs and lean bacon. Since hair is made of protein, a high intake may slow down hair loss, according to trichologist Philip Kingsley.

AGE: 30

It becomes more difficult to lose weight as our metabolism (the rate at which the body gets it energy from food) begins to slow down. This means that any excess calories consumed are more readily stored as fat.

The best age to give birth, according to a study at the University of Texas.

The report concluded that mothers who give birth at 34 enjoy better health, live longer and have healthier babies than those who reproduce earlier. However, around this age, a woman's fertility begins to decline dramatically.

ACTION: Women who take folic acid supplements every day have a better chance of getting pregnant, according to research by the Harvard School of Public Health.

The study, involving more than 18,000 women, showed multivitamins - particularly folic acid - improved a woman's fertility. Folic acid also protects against neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Those taking a regular supplement had a 40 per cent lower risk of suffering problems ovulating.

AGE: 35

Most people will have some grey hair by age 35. When we are young, our hair is coloured by the pigments produced by cells in the hair follicle, known as melanocytes. As we age, melanocytes gradually become less active, so less pigment is produced, the colour fades, and grey hair grows instead.

ACTION: Take a vitamin B vitamin supplement. According to Philip Kingsley, getting enough B vitamins may help slow down rate of grey hair production..

Since B vitamins are also depleted at times of stress, and stress is linked to grey hair, a supplement may help.

AGE: 40

The age may mark the decline in a man's fertility. A study by the Columbia University School of Public Health in New York found that risk of miscarriage to expectant mothers was 60 per cent higher when the father was aged 40 or

over compared to when he was 25 to 29 years old, regardless of the mother's age. Though men continually produce new sperm and can father children into their 80s, the quality of semen declines with age.

ACTION: Keep the testicles cool, as this is vital to maintaining healthy sperm production. Include foods rich in zinc, vitamin C, selenium and vitamin E, as these are important for healthy sperm production and motility.

AGE: 41

Over the age of 40, age-related bone loss begins. In women, about 35 per cent of compact bone and 50 per cent of spongy bone in the skeleton is lost during a lifetime, whereas men lose about two-thirds of this amount.

As women have less bone to start with, lose increased amounts during the menopause and live longer than men, they are more at risk from osteoporosis.

One in two women and one in five men will suffer a fracture after the age of 50, according to the National Osteoporosis Society.

ACTION: Take regular weight-bearing exercise - such as brisk walking, aerobics, dancing and running - four or five times per week.

AGE: 42

As we head into our 40s, we lose brain cells at a rate of up to 10,000 per day.

As we age, our circulation tends to slow down. This means less oxygen reaches our brain cells, which can impact on memory.

ACTION: Preserving mental agility has been linked to mental activity. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that people who read, played board games or played musical instruments had a reduced risk of dementia.

AGE: 45

The average age for a hysterectomy.

Up to 100,000 women have the operation in the UK each year. As well as removal of the uterus, it can also involve taking out the fallopian tubes, ovaries and cervix to relieve a number of gynaecological complaints.

ACTION: There are an increasing number of ways to avoid such radical surgery, so discuss alternatives with your doctor. Fibroids, for example, can be destroyed with high resonance ultrasound beams, while endometriosis responds to laser treatment.

AGE: 46

Average age for needing reading glasses or bifocals. This is because from our mid-40s the eyes usually develop presbyopia, according to Oliver Backhouse, consultant ophthalmologist at the Yorkshire Eye Hospital. The condition causes loss of ability to focus on far, mid and near-range objects.

ACTION: You cannot stop this natural degeneration, says Dr Kevin Lewis, president of the College of Optometrists.

But ensure your eyes stay healthy by giving up smoking. Toxins in smoke damage blood vessels that supply the macula - the most sensitive area of the retina - and could lead to agerelated macular degeneration, the major cause of blindness in the UK.

AGE: 50

According to the Parkinson's Disease Society, symptoms usually appear after the age of 50 and the risk of getting Parkinson's increases with age.

ACTION: To help prevent the disease, eat foods rich in vitamin E such as olive oil, sunflower seeds and almonds.

According to a joint American and Canadian study published in The Lancet, moderate or high levels in the diet may help protect the brain against the disease.

Women who switch to decaffeinated coffee or tea, or to herbal tea, often find this makes their flushes 'cooler'. Also, keep up your calcium intake so your bones remain strong. Weakening is more likely during the menopause because of reduced levels of the hormone oestrogen.

AGE: 59

The risk of melanoma skin cancer increases with age, with the most common age group being late 50s according to The Mole Clinic, a leading independent diagnostic centre for skin cancer.

ACTION: Protect yourself from the harmful effects of too much sun by wearing thick fabrics. A review of sun protection strategies around the world by the Triemli Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, found this provides better protection than sunscreen. Tightly woven denim, wool or polyester are particularly effective.

AGE: 60

An age associated with the development of macular degeneration - the UK's leading cause of sight loss. It often develops as part of the natural ageing process, though it is also linked to smoking.

ACTION: A high-level boost of nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein may slow progression of the condition, according to consultant ophthalmologist Oliver Backhouse. Lutein is found in egg yolk, while zeaxanthin is found in small amounts in most fruits and vegetables.

The average age a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, according to the NHS. Almost 85 per cent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in women over the age of 50, with an increase in incidence after menopause.

ACTION: Include broccoli in your diet. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh examined phenethyl isothiocyanate - a constituent of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli - on ovarian cancer cells. It interfered with a protein involved in the growth of ovarian and other cancerous tumours.

AGE: 68

The average age of a hip-replacement patient. At least 50,000 hip replacements are done in Britain each year.

ACTION: As osteoarthritis is a major cause of hip replacement, keep weight down because this helps ease pressure on joints. GP Dr Harper recommends swimming as a form of exercise to maintain mobility.

AGE: 70

The average age for diagnosis of bowel cancer, according to Bowel Cancer UK.

ACTION: Include blueberries in your diet, as these contain a compound called pterostilbene which could fight colon cancer, according to scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

AGE: 75

At least half of all people over the age of 75 have high blood pressure, which carries a long-term risk of heart disease and stroke. Hypertension usually has no symptoms

ACTION: Everyone should have their blood pressure checked at least every three to five years from the age of 40.

Checks should be at least once a year for older people and those with diabetes.

AGE: 76

Average life expectancy for British men.

ACTION: Eat less, as this can lead to a longer life, according to research by Louisiana State University. It found that just six months of a caloriecutting regime reduced the chances of developing diseases associated with death in old age, such as cancer.

AGE: 81

Average life expectancy for British women.

ACTION: Follow the Mediterranean diet. A study led by the University of Athens, which examined 74,000 healthy adults over 60 from nine countries, found that those who followed this regime were likely to live longer.

Have a high intake of vegetables, fruits and cereals, a moderate amount of fish, a low intake of saturated fats but a high intake of unsaturated fats such as olive oil, and a modest intake of wine.